Melanie Ariens

Profile

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Multi media artist, environmental advocate and volunteer community coordinator with a diverse knowledge base and creative skills set that allows her to design and manage projects in organized, creative and upbeat manner. Currently is the Artist in Residence for Milwaukee Water Commons, planning and facilitating creative, water inspired art experiences for local water leaders and community groups.  Exhibition, Public Art and Presentation Experience.  ​Melanie received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1992, specializing in painting, drawing and printmaking, but has always enjoyed mixing it up and experimenting!

 

2017

Culture Jam: True Lies, Invitational, RedLine-Milwaukee

Project Coordinator, Lincoln Avenue School Garden Murals, Milwaukee Public Schools, The Boys and Girls Club and the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center.

Project Coordinator, Pulaski Park Pavillion Mural, Milwaukee County Parks and Sixteenth Street Community Health Center.

Timeline, Resident Exhibition, RedLine-Milwaukee

Community Mural Coordinator - Urban Ecology Center Washington Park

AECOM/MMSD Project Artist on a green infrastructure project for the Village of Whitefish Bay.

Juror, Alverno College, student exhibition

Art of Water, juried show, James May Gallery, Algoma, WI

Visiting Artist, Conserve School's Conservation Week, Land O'Lakes, WI

Mentor - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Community Arts Program

Milwaukee Water Commons - Resident Artist - merging art, science, and spirit to design projects for neighborhood water leadership training and outreach.

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2016

Co-Curator, Contained in Water exhibition, Surfrider Foundation-Milwlaukee (Opening July 22nd, 2016)

AECOM/MMSD Project Artist on a green infrastructure project for the Village of St. Francis.

Concrete River: Memorial and Promise on the Kinnickinnic, Melanie Ariens and Eddee Daniel, Alfons Gallery, Milwaukee

Confluence: Water City Launch, event staging, graphic design and live screenprinting - Milwaukee Water Commons at Best Place, Milwaukee, WI

Featured Speaker, Whitefish Bay Recreation Department

Water Shrine Installation - Confluence Dance Performance - Next Act Theater

Guest Lecturer - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Art 100

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2015

Visiting Artist - Bay View High School, Human Anatomy and Physiology Water inquiry

Mentor - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Community Arts Program

Milwaukee Water Commons - Resident Artist - merging art, science, and spirit to design projects for neighborhood water leadership training and outreach.

Visiting Artist - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Living, Learning Design Course

Distressed Structures- the Weathering of Ecology -  Group exhibition, panelist and presenter - Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI

Community Issues Forum - presenter - First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee

Presenter - Translator Milwaukee - Creative Mornings creative process lab

Featured Artist, Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference, Discovery World, Milwaukee, WI

Designer- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, green infrastructure themed manhole covers.

Community Partner of the Year Award - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Center for Community Based Learning, Leadership and Research.

AECOM/Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - Project Artist on a green infrastructure project for the City of West Allis 

Community Mural Coordinator - Urban Ecology Center’s 10 year anniversary gathering.

Milwaukee Water Commons - Celebration Coordinator and artist for We Are Water 2015: a beachfront celebration of Milwaukee’s Waters, Interactive Art Installation, Milwaukee, WI

RedLine at Museum of Wisconsin Art - representing artist

Continuum and Carry On - Group exhibition, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Fine Arts Gallery.

Community Mural Coordinator - Urban Ecology Center's HKE MKE event

 

2014

Mentor - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Community Arts Program

Milwaukee Water Commons - Celebration Coordinator and artist for We Are Water: a beachfront celebration of Milwaukee’s Waters, Interactive Art Installation, Milwaukee, WI

Culture Jam MKE, Bay View, WI

Timeline, RedLine Resident Exhibition, Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Water Commons Town Hall Meeting, Zilber School of Public Health, Milwaukee, WI

Following the Flow, artists exploring Wisconsin waterways, Riverfront Art Center, Steven's Point, WI

Surface Tension, Set design and construction for dance performance by DanceCircus, Milwaukee WI

URS/Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - Project Artist on a green infrastructure project for the Village of Brown Deer

Blog post about Melanie written by Milwaukee Photographer Eddee Daniel

http://urbanwilderness-eddee.blogspot.com/2014/01/down-by-riverside-art-and-activism-in.html

 

2013

Water Altar Installation, John Gurda’s Built on Water presentation, Discovery World, Milwaukee, WI

Muralist, Urban Ecology Center, permanent mural under the Locust Street Bridge, Milwaukee, WI 

Repurposed Runway Fashion Show, Featured Artist, RedLine, Milwaukee, WI

Repurposed Runway Fashion Show, Designer, RedLine, Milwaukee, WI

Repurposed Runway Fashion Show, Advisory Team, Milwaukee, WI

Timeline, RedLine Resident Exhibition, Milwaukee, WI

Guest Artist and Speaker, Cumberland School’s Water Week, Whitefish Bay, WI

Concordia University, Shorelines, a juried exhibition, Best Design and Construction Award, Mequon, WI

 

2012

Guest Speaker, Lake Michigan Stakeholder meeting, UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, Milwaukee, WI

Featured Artist, Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference, Discovery World, Milwaukee, WI

Water, a juried exhibition Gallery 224, Port Washington, WI

Northern National Juried Exhibition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI  - Patron Award Winner

TimeLine, RedLine Resident Exhibition, Milwaukee, WI

Under MKE, RedLine, Milwaukee WI